The Brookhaven leader., 1887-02-03
STANDING ADVERTISEMENTS.
MURoERoUS APACHES.
A Brief Review Of the Campaign Waged
Against Them In 1886.


The campaign waged by General
Miles during the summer and autumn
of 1886 against the Apache Indians in
Arizona, led by their chiefs Geronimo,
Natchez and Mangus. was not one OF
vengeance or vindictiveness. 1t was
marked by very great bravery and ad-
mirable feats of endurance on the part
of the soldiers, but there was very little
bloodshed or cruelty.
The Indians had broken from their
reservation, and were carrying fire and
sword through Southern Arizona, South
western New Mexico and Northerr
Mexico. Lleutenant-General Sheridan,
the Commander-in-C of the army,
had instructed General Miles to
move against them. He directed
Miles that the greatest care be taken to
prevent the spread of hostilities among
the friendly Indians in his command,
and that the most vigorous operations,
looking to the destruction or capture OF
the hostiles, be ceaselessly carried on"
General Miles divided into districts
the whole hostile country, which is
series of almost inaccessible mountain
ranges, crossed by deep canyons and
corges, and placed each district under
the command of an cfficer Each de-
tachment had heliograph, or looking
glass, signals, by means of which they
communicated, flashing the suns rays
from mountain-top to mountain-top.
Whenever band of hostile Indians was
discovered, the soldiers gave pursuit. In
the chase which followed, the Indians in
variablv had one advantage over the SOL
diers. Riding their horses as high up
the ranges as they could 60, they then
abandoned the horses, crossed the sum-
nit on foot, and stole fresh horses IN
the valley below The troops, who
could not steal horses, were obliged to
send their animals around the foot OF
the mountains, and proceed on foot.
Lieutenant Brett's command went at
one time twenty-six hours without
halt, and was without water eighteen
hours in the intense summer heat or
Arizona. Captain LawtOn's command,
crossing into Mexico, pursued the In
dians continually through the mountain
ous country of Sonora for nearly
! three months. He followed them
from one range of mountains
to another, over peaks nine or ten
thousand feet above the level of the sea,
and in the depths of the canons, where
the heat in July and August was OF
fearful intensity. A part of this COM
mand was without rations five days,
three days being the longest continu-
Gus period. In these mountains 1t was
impossible to move the pack-trains
Captain Lawton hunted the chief
Natchez down. Natchez was willing
to surrender to General Miles, but not
to Lawton. So Lawton followed him
northward until General Miles camp
was reached. Geronimo had already
surrendered Natchez hesitated. but
he saw the hcliograph signals flashing
across from mountain-top to mountain
top as far as he could see, and then
made up his mind that it was useless to
attempt longer to evade the whites.
One after another of the scattered
hostile bands surrendered. General
Miles says in his report: The hostiles
fought until the bulk of their ammuni-
ton was exhaused. Pursued for more
than two thousand miles over the most
rugged and sterile districts of the rocky
Sierra Madre mountain regions, beneath
the burning heat of midsummer, until
worn down and disheartened, they find
no place of safety in our country or
Mexico, and finally lay down their
arms and sue for mercy. - YOUTHS
Co,,7 M Ojo1